Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

HouseplantsConservatory Greenhouse

Aglaonema modestum

Chinese evergreen

An erect, tropical perennial with 20cm long, shiny dark green leaves with wavy margins, held on leaf stalks 10-20cm long. Inconspicuous green flowers may be produced in summer. A good foliage houseplant for a spot out of direct sun

Other common names

green-for-ten-thousand-years
lily of China

Synonyms

Aglaonema acutispathum

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1B

Botanical details

Family: Araceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Humans/Pets: Harmful if eaten, skin/eye irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Aglaonema are rhizomatous evergreen perennials with short stems bearing long-stalked, often attractively variegated leaves and rather insignificant, greenish or cream flowering spathes
Name status: Correct
Plant range: S China, N Laos, N Thailand

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow as a house or conservatory plant in houseplant compost, position the plants in bright, filtered light. Direct sun may scorch the foliage. Water moderately; allow some drying out in between applications in winter. Mist daily and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing season. Pot on every 2-3 years. See houseplant cultivation for further information

Propagation

Propagate by separating basal shoots with 3 or 4 leaves, ideally with roots attached, or divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Houseplants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to mealybugs

Diseases

May be susceptible to stem and root rots in very wet compost

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.